The 8th European Key Competence focuses on the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a wide range of media. But since culture is a fundamental dimension of the human being, its translation in terms of “key” competence is difficult to define, especially when it comes to recognition and validation of skills. This difficulty is accentuated by the considerations and utilitarian logic, often opposing economic plan and sensible and creative plan.

Revealed in all social practices and recognised as essential, even existential, by the European Commission, this 8th competence is thus the forgotten one of the political and educational considerations of the national governments.

However, in a global context of rising fundamentalism and populism, entry through culture favours the appreciation of a common cultural heritage and the re-appropriation of humanist values, essential to meet the current challenges of a cohesion Europe on the territories. This entry is also a powerful vector of access to key skills development courses, because it encourages and supports the engagement of individuals in a creative process of individual and collective self-training, promoting mobilisation and skills development.

It is therefore on this context that is fully human, moving, complex, that “Art-connection” is committed, to make visible this thread between individual creativity and societal innovation.

The project partners – from four European countries: Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom with France as leader – have the ambition to bring out and enhance the cultural dimension as a human experience, ethical, aesthetic and solidarity to mobilise the creativity of everyone in the service of promoting a creative process of innovation in learning territories.

The partners will combine their specific research and pedagogical practices, their expertise in the recognition and valorization of experience gained in various cultural and territorial contexts, to create together an innovative solution for the promotion of inclusive educational models.

“Art-connection” aims to produce a European Memorandum to support the creation and access to key skills development pathways based on the informal field of cultural heritage common to humanity.

The Memorandum will be supplemented by an e-book to contextualise and illustrate the results of the project.

The project will be conducted on a global basis, built on a participatory action-research approach carried out in the four partner countries, with a variety of adult audiences and territories.

Intellectual productions will be co-produced in a logic of shared responsibilities.

They will be the following:

– An inventory of tools and contents aimed at studying, from a literature review, the impact of the cultural dimension, in a systemic consideration, on a creative process that also allows the development of the power to act individuals, contributing to job creation, economic growth and social cohesion.

– A methodological framework to define the overall participatory action-research mechanism to be implemented in the four partner countries.

– A methodological framework to guarantee the quality of dissemination and sustainability of the project results.

– A training course developed for several groups of professionals chosen in the context of participatory action research.

– An educational guide in the curricula / educational methods / training creation, for educational professionals, to support a wide variety of adult audiences, especially those experiencing social and societal exclusion.